Crohn’s Disease

How Does Medical Marijuana Help

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease belongs to a group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's symptoms vary from mild to severe. Mild symptoms may be frequent but consistent diarrhea, abdominal pain or tenderness, fever, unexplained weight loss, or anemia.

Can Medical Marijuana help treat Crohn’s Disease?

Researchers have suggested that the potential therapeutic compounds in marijuana could indeed help with symptoms.
A study published in August 2011 in the Israel Medical Association Journal presented the results of the first research to ever examine the use of cannabis in people with Crohn's. The 30 patients, who hadn't previously responded to standard treatments, all said their overall well-being improved with marijuana use.

Another study showed that patients who had Crohn's disease all had more endocannabinoids in their colonic tissue. This suggests that endocannabinoids potentially help people with Crohn's disease.